Safe skateboarding

Why do children get hurt skateboarding?

Children are most likely to get hurt when they are just learning to ride, going too fast, riding near cars and traffic or not using safety gear.

Why should skateboarders wear a helmet?

A properly fitted helmet helps protect your child's brain in a crash or a fall. A head injury can permanently change the way a child walks, talks, plays and thinks. The human skull is just one centimetre thick. A properly fitted and correctly worn skateboard helmet can cut the risk of serious head injury by up to 80 per cent. This means four out of five brain injuries could be prevented, if every skateboarder wore a helmet.

What kind of helmet should be used for skateboarding?

There are special helmets just for skateboarding. Skateboarding helmets cover more of the back of the head and will protect against more than one crash. Because falls are common in skateboarding, these helmets are made of material that is specially designed to withstand multiple impacts on the same spot. Be aware that a skateboarding helmet should not be used for bike riding unless specified on the label.

Besides a helmet, what protective equipment should skateboarders wear?

The most common injuries while skateboarding are broken bones and sprains. Wrist guards can help protect children from broken bones and sprains of the wrist and arm. Wrist guards work by absorbing the shock and keeping the wrist from bending back if a child falls. Elbow pads and knee pads may also protect from injuries, but there is very little research to show that they are effective.

Do skate parks prevent injuries?

We don't know. Skate parks can provide a safer environment by keeping children away from traffic, uneven roads and sidewalks. But injuries still occur at skate parks. This may be because children may attempt more risky tricks and feel more competition with others at the park. More research needs to be done to answer this question.